March 23 Movement (M23)
The rebels are named after a peace agreement they signed with the Congolese government on March 23, 2009 when they were fighting as part of a group calling itself the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP). Many CNDP fighters were integrated into the Congolese army, officially known by its French initials FARDC.
M23 is a Congolese rebel military group that is for the most part formed of ethnic Tutsi, which is an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. The armed wing of the group is led by General Makenga Sultani, who has served as acting president of the group since the 28 February 2013 removal of Bishop Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero, a former CNDP member.
Bertrand Bisimwa is a somewhat enigmatic figure and information about him is limited. He was born in the DRC, but specific details are unknown. He is of Tutsi ethnicity, which is significant because M23 claims to defend the interests of the Tutsi minority in the DRC and represent their grievances against the Congolese government.
As M23’s political leader, he was often involved in negotiations with the Congolese government. His role as spokesperson helped shape public perceptions of M23 and its goals, both domestically and internationally. After the dissolution of M23 in late 2013, Bisimwa’s activities became less publicly visible. He reportedly fled to Uganda and then to Rwanda, where he maintained a low profile.
His twitter includes many reposts of an account called Conspiracy Tracker Great Lakes, which is a research and fact-based tool which monitors conspiracy theories and provides latest news in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Bisimwa seems to be mostly committed to peace rather than war, as most interviews show him advocating for peace and safety of civilians.
Sultani Makenga was considered a key military strategist and was instrumental in M23’soperations. Makenga fought for the Rwandan Patriotic Front during the Rwandan Civil War, where he joined an elite unit that participated in the Kitona airlift of 1998.
He was one of the founding members of M23 when it emerged in 2012, defecting from the Congolese army. He was responsible for planning and executing military operations, and led the group’s fighters against the Congolese army and other armed groups in the region. He was known for his tactical perception and his ability to mobilise and coordinate forces effectively. Makenga, like other M23 leaders, faced allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses. In late 2013,he surrendered and reportedly relocated to Rwanda, where he was placed under house arrest.
In 2017, there were reports he was involved in efforts to initiate new armed action in the eastern DRC, but there is no concrete evidence to support this.
Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero is a Congolese politician and evangelical bishop who served various leadership roles within the group. He participated in negotiations and advocated for what M23 claimed were the rights and interests of the Tutsi ethnic minority in the region.
He was involved in M23’s capture of the city of Goma in November 2012. In 2013, he pledged to end the conflict and was accused of treason and removed from his leadership position. Following his removal, Runiga maintained a faction of M23 that remained loyal to him, which led to clashes with factions loyal to Sultani Makenga.
In June 2016, Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero participated in the creation of a new Congolese political party called the Alliance pour le Salut du Peuple (ASP). He has been targeted with financial sanctions.